Have you felt lately as though we’re living the plot of some absurdist novel? Well, you’re not alone, and this month, our presenters will take you from preserving history to analyzing the absurdity of it, to protecting yourself from the all-seeing eyes of dystopian surveillance. Buckle up, because this month’s show is a trip!
March 13th, 2025 doors 6pm, show 7pm at River Arts District Brewing Co.
Pre-sale tickets $10, door $15 (cash preferred, Venmo etc. available). Get your pre-sale tickets here: https://events.humanitix.com/nerd-nite-asheville-march-2025
This month’s lineup:
Katherine Cutshall
Documenting a Disaster
Archives are how we create and preserve the events that unfold around us every day, but the work that goes into archiving what will be referred to as historical events in the future is largely invisible. In this talk you’ll learn about how 21st century archivists work alongside community members to ensure that we build a robust and diverse archive of materials that will help us understand the past and plan for a better future, and how archivists are documenting and preserving the events around Helene.
Katherine is an aggressively enthusiastic public historian and Asheville native (Yes! We exist!) currently managing the Buncombe County Special Collections library in Downtown Asheville. Almost nothing brings her more joy than engaging folks with the past and helping them to realize that history is more than dates and “important people” – it’s the foundation of our collective memory and a roadmap for our future. @yunz.are.sumthinelse ; @AVLHistory Website: Specialcollections.buncombecounty.org
Ashley Allen
Our Current Reality is Multimodal Post-Modernist Literature
Join Ashley as she draws parallels between our current lived experiences and the literary subgenre of multimodal Postmodernist Literature. Is it the next big Literary Theory? A social commentary? Or the next iteration of simulation conspiracy theories? Who knows, but buckle up! Taking a closer look at the genre tenets of Postmodernist literature and its representation through multiple modalities, this presentation will hopefully entertain and inform in equal measure.
Ashley Allen (she/her) is an advocate for literacy, both personally as an avid reader and professionally as the Co-Executive Director of local nonprofit Read 2 Succeed. When not nerding out on all things literary, Ashley enjoys rollerblading, diamond art, learning about reptile husbandry, and a good D&D Campaign. Check out R2S’ website here- https://www.r2sasheville.org/
Nicole Lopez
Surveillance Self-Defense for the Current Panopticon
We live in a constant state of surveillance. We carry tiny computers with cameras and microphones around in our pockets that ping cell towers and join wifi networks while the apps we use track and sell our personal data. We trade in our privacy for convenience, personalized advertisements, and perceived wins in public safety. This talk will provide an overview of the current state of surveillance from creepy adtech to law enforcement surveillance to more advanced threats of spyware. Surveillance can be scary, especially in this moment of political upheaval, but fear not! We’ll cover the tools at our disposal to take back our privacy, so that everybody leaves feeling more informed and less powerless to the panopticon!
Nicole Lopez (she/her) is Director of Technology at Midwest Access Coalition, a practical support abortion fund supporting people traveling to, from, and within the Midwest to access abortion care, where she straddles software development, IT management, and digital security. A seasoned digital security trainer, she previously worked at Digital Defense Fund, which specializes in digital security and tech support for the abortion access movement. Nicole is also a co-organizer for two communities of techies, Code with Asheville and Techies for Reproductive Justice. When not nerding out about tech, you can find her petting one of her cats, salsa dancing, or playing classical piano works by women and people of color ignored by the classical music canon.
With your host, Von
This month’s Star Trek mini-feature: Captain Kathryn F*king Janeway
What makes Captain Janeway an incredible Starfleet captain? Her bravery, self-sacrifice, diplomacy, love for science and ability to keep her crew united while isolated in the Delta Quadrant?
Think again.
Coffee, murder, and triggering the self destruct on her ship like it’s a fetish. This month you’ll see why Janeway is a not just a brilliant leader, but a goddamned menace. Janeway pi one one zero, motherf*ckers!
Von (they/them) is a local performer known for their radioactive style, political commentary, and inability to shut up about Star Trek. A lifelong nerd of both science and theater, they were an avid lover of Nerd Nite in Los Angeles before moving to Asheville and starting the local Nerd Nite Chapter.
Von claims this show for the Romulan Empire. (IG: @nerdniteAVL)